130 Years: Celebrating the People that Make Bowens Great

In 1894, Richard Bowen and Redmond Pomeroy founded Bowen & Pomeroy Pty Ltd and started trading. With a history that spans 130 years, through two world wars, the great depression, a recession and multiple generations, it is the employees past and present who have paved the way for the Bowens we know and love today. 

“I think our best trait is the way we communicate with our builders, and with each other. There’s a great culture in the business. When I walk into a store, there is always a good feeling there,” Jack Bowen says. 

This is reflected in the company’s long history. There are plenty of employees who have worked hard through the decades to ensure the business runs smoothly for the builders and trades that rely on them. Great men and women. Those such as Tom Kean, John Fewster, Jack Dowling, Charlie Barrass, Wally Turner, and today, Bowens longest serving employee, Jeff Harvey. Those who have kept the spirit of Bowens alive.  

Jeff Harvey, Bowens longest serving employee & Jack Bowen, Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Jack explains: 

“When my grandfather died, Charlie Barrass stepped in with Jack Dowling. I mean, they grabbed the reins and ran the business. Now if there hadn’t been the quality of those sort of people there, I don’t know what would have happened to the business.” 

Being appointed as managing director at a young age, Jack worked tirelessly to keep Bowens going strong. Yet he admits that without the likes of mentors such as Tom Kean, he would have found it much more difficult.

“My father died very suddenly, and I was really ill-prepared. But my family said to me, go and sit in that chair and see what you can do. It was difficult but the fact that I’ve had good people to help me and lean on really made a difference.” Jack continues, “I had help from a guy named Tom Kean. He was a very conservative, wonderful man, very smart. He started at Bowens when he was 14, went to the war, did accountancy, came into the company and did such a great job.”

Jeff Harvey adds, “They were great mentors and terrific people to work for. There were difficult times the company had to experience; supply shortages during and after the Second World War, a severe credit squeeze in the early 1960s and the sudden passing of Jack’s father in 1971. Tom Kean was a calm guiding voice for those occasions.” 

They certainly did their bit to ensure Bowens continued to grow, and they guided the men and women that followed in their footsteps. Jeff remembers an encounter with Wally Turner that has stayed with him for his entire career. 

“One time when I was working out in the yard, Wally and I were walking down between one part of the yard and the next. I had a pair of gloves on, and he said, ‘You’re wearing gloves, are you son?’ 

I said, ‘Yeah, I’ve been getting a few splinters.’ 

He said, ‘Well, it’s the sign of a man’s character if he wears gloves.’ 

I never wore gloves after that, and I got splinters all the time.”

However, it is more than a gentle nudge and joke. There is a reason why Jack and Jeff have such strong and fond memories of these people. However, there is a famous saying that captures it. 

People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel – Maya Angelou. 

The way another person can make you feel can stay with someone for a lifetime. In business, everyday interactions can be the difference between a company that fails and one that continues to grow over centuries. 

“We’re not just suppliers who supply timber and forget about it after that. We’re there for the long haul in case there’s a problem down the track,” Jeff says. 

Jeff insists, that even though Jack is still a part of the business, he has left his own legacy. Jack cheekily tells us he’ll leave the room while Jeff explains.

“I’d have to say, where the company is now, Jack set a lot of this up in the way he treated customers. If something went wrong, he’d ring the customers and let them know straight away. Even in his early days when his dad was alive, he was a customer’s man. So, a lot of our service is based on that legacy.” 

The legacies of the Tom Kean’s and the Wally Turner’s live on through these stories, and what they leave behind are the qualities that Bowens look for in their next generation of employees. The generations that will help guide the company through another 130 years of service for builders and trades.